PASTOR RAYMOND KOH
it was the Special Branch, Bukit Aman, Kuala Lumpur which had carried out the
enforced disappearance of both Pastor Raymond Koh and Amri Che Mat.
Enforced Disappearance by Non-State Agents
155.
The Panel further finds that there is no evidence to support the conten�on, as
suggested by Counsel on behalf of Pastor Raymond Koh, that Pastor Raymond
Koh was abducted by persons or groups of persons ac�ng with the authorisa�on,
support or acquiescence of the State.
Refusal to Acknowledge the Depriva�on of Liberty
156.
It will be noted that the enforced disappearance of Pastor Raymond Koh was
“followed by a refusal to acknowledge the depriva���on of liberty or by
concealment of the fate or whereabouts of the disappeared person, which place
such a person outside the protec�on of the law.”
157.
This conclusion on the refusal by the State, namely the Police, to acknowledge
the enforced disappearance is supported by the fact that to date, the Police have
refused to reclassify the disappearance of Pastor Raymond Koh as the case of
enforced disappearance from the case of abduc�on.
Common Features Between the Two Disappearances
158.
The Panel is further of the view that there are common features between the
disappearance of Pastor Raymond Koh and Amri Che Mat. The common features
that the Panel has taken note of are the following:
(i) Religious Issues
159.
Pastor Raymond Koh was a pastor at the Evangelical Free Church in Petaling Jaya
from 1994 to 2004. Following that, he formed Harapan Komuni� together with
two others to carry out social and charity work among marginalised and
underprivileged communities. At the Thanksgiving Fundraising Event organised
by Harapan Komuni� in DUMC on 3 August 2011, the Selangor State Islamic
Affairs Department’s (“JAIS”) officers and a team of policemen raided the
premises as there were several Muslim individuals who were found to be present
at the event.
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